Chapter 13

Later that day:

Emily had been in her room almost the entire day without any signs of life coming from her room. It was already becoming dark outside and Dorothy began worrying about Emily. She walked up the stairs and knocked on Emily's door. There was no response. She knocked again. Still no response. Dorothy slowly cracked the door open and peeked inside.

The window was open, and Emily was not there. Dorothy then ran into the room looking for Emily. She then looked out the window only to see a makeshift rope made of bed sheets leading down to the ground. Dorothy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Emily had never run away before. There was no forewarning of it. Dorothy quickly ran downstairs, grabbed her sweater and lantern, and ran out of the house looking for Emily.

Meanwhile:

Emily was hiding in the backyard of Mrs. Gulch's abandoned house. She sat on the back porch and looked up at the stars. In her hand was the necklace from the box. She looked at it with admiration. It was emerald green, but she had a feeling that there was more to this necklace then met the eye. She looked back up to the stars. What if Dorothy was telling the truth? There was no reason to lie to her. What if she was from another world? And her parents were there, somewhere? Emily longed to meet them and know why they had abandoned her.

"Oh look at myself. What a ridiculous thought! There is no such thing as Oz"

No matter how well the pieces fit together, Emily refused to believe that she was from Oz.

Only Hope

There's a song that's inside of my soul. It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again. I'm awake in the infinite cold. But You sing to me over and over and over again. So I lay my head back down, And I lift my hands and pray to be only Yours, I pray to be only Yours. I know now you're my only hope.

Sing to me the song of the stars. Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing, and laughing again. When it feels like my dreams are so far. Sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again. So I lay my head back down, And I lift my hands and pray, To be only yours, I pray to be only yours, I know now you're my only hope

The air was begging to get colder. Emily stood up and walked out into the field.

I give You my destiny, I'm giving You all of me, I want Your symphony, Singing in all that I am. At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back. So I lay my head back down, And I lift my hands and pray, To be only yours, I pray to be only yours, I pray to be only yours, I know now you're my only hope

Emily put on her necklace and lay down on the grass. She could hear Dorothy in the distance calling for her. Emily got up and sighed. She was about to go over to her mother, but as she passed the house, she heard another voice calling her name. It was faint, but she could hear it. It was coming form inside the house. She hesitated, but then heard the voice again. She went to the front porch and peeked inside between some of the broken boards that covered the windows. It was pitch black for the most part, with the exception of the cracks of light that came from between the boards. She then heard a voice, a man's voice. One that was oddly familiar.

She looked at the front door and saw one of the boards missing. She slipped in between the gap it had left. The floors were creaking from age, and Emily was virtually blind in the darkness.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Emily took a couple more steps. Then the floor bent under her weight on the old wood and snapped. Emily fell through the floor and onto the ground far below. She could faintly hear Dorothy still calling her name in the background. Then she was in total darkness.

Emily slowly came to. Her vision was a little blurred. She could hear a man's voice above her. She slowly sat up and blinked a couple of times.

"Don't rush yourself"

The man took her hand to help her up. His hand was ice cold. Emily then shook her head. Her vision was nearly back. She tried to get a good look at the man.

"You must've taken quite a fall to get a cut like that on your head"

The man was…silver. Like tin.

Emily's vision was 100% back. She then screamed in fright. The man fell back, startled and fell on the floor with a clank.

"You..you..."

Emily couldn't believe her eyes. It was the Tin Man.

"I know, I'm made of tin…I get that a lot.."

Emily couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"No it wasn't that…it's just that..you're real"

Emily then helped the Tin Man up.

"Yes, I am"

Emily then began poking him.

"This is some dream"

"This isn't a dream, I'm sorry to say. Sometimes I wish it was"

"So wait..where am I?"

"The land of Oz of course"

Emily's mouth gaped open.

"Im..in Oz?"

The Tin Man looked at Emily confused.

"That had to be a really bad fall"

"No..it's not the fall…it's just that..oh no..Dorothy was telling the truth all this time!"

"Dorothy! You know Dorothy!"

Emily smiled and nodded.

"Well then. Any friend of Dorothy's is a friend of mine as well. Welcome to my cottage!"

"I can't believe this"

"I'm sorry?"

"No, it's not just you…it's..I can't believe Oz exists"

"Of course it does. Who would've told you otherwise?"

"Myself" Emily said under her breath

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing" Emily blushed.

"So, is Glinda around here?"

"Glinda lives at the Emerald City now"

"How do I get there?"

"You have to follow…"

"Let me guess..the yellow brick road?"

The tin man smiled.

"So Dorothy did tell you of our adventures."

"She sure did, almost everyday, look I need to see Glinda"

"Well, she's a busy witch. She's the ruler of Oz now."

"But it's urgent"

"Well, I'll take you to the Emerald City. I'm sure once they hear who you are, they'll make an exception."

"Thank you, Tin Man."

"It's no problem…what is your name?"

"Emily"

"Emily"

"So then, when can we leave?"

"When we cover that cut on your head."

Emily's head started throbbing. She had forgotten all about her injury. But no matter. She was on her way to finding out her who her real parents were. Her answers would be found in the Emerald City.

Pass the Impassable desert, in Elphaba's hideaway castle. Elphaba's viewing globe began to glow a dim green for the first time in eighteen years. It began to show a blurry, fading picture of Emily in the Tin Man's house. But the tower had been abandoned for years now, since Elphaba had given up hope so long ago of ever seeing her daughter again.